


Night

by JosieRuby1



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2015-05-05
Packaged: 2018-03-29 04:15:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3881911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosieRuby1/pseuds/JosieRuby1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint Barton struggles to deal with the aftermath of Age of Ultron</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night

**Author's Note:**

> Clint and Nathaniel Barton

“What you didn’t see that coming?”

The words circled around Clint’s mind, robbing him of sleep or any sort of piece. He stared up at the ceiling. He couldn’t close his eyes, the image of the gun-riddled Pietro was burnt onto his eyelids. 

The room was too quiet. The only sounds his own breathing and Laura’s beside him. Laura was just one of many people who had told him it wasn’t his fault, that he wasn’t to blame. He couldn’t believe them, how could he? Pietro died saving him.

He tried to believe it, when it came from Wanda as it had just a few days previous. “My brother would be proud to have died a hero.” she had insisted, her voice strong while the water in her eyes gave away how much she was hurting. 

The silence was broken suddenly by a loud screech, and quietly followed by a tired groan from beside him. He leaned down and kissed Laura on the cheek. “I’ll go,” he said, softly.

Laura smiled gratefully, and settled back to sleep. In the morning she would talk to him about him not sleeping but for now she was happy for sleep. She hadn’t got much herself recently because Clint’s missions and the new baby.

Clint dragged himself to his feet and moved over to the cot at the end of the bed. “What’s wrong, Nate?” he asked, softly as he lifted his youngest son into his arms. He rocked him gently as he walked out of the room to give Laura some peace.

Nate stopped screaming after a few moments in his Daddy’s arm but he didn’t stop crying. Clint was grateful for the distraction. It wasn’t easy balancing a baby in one hand while preparing a bottle with the other, but he was happy to do it. At least this was an excuse to be awake. Anything was better than just lying in bed.

Nate took the feed gratefully and greedily. He sucked at the bottle quickly as Clint settled into an armchair in the living room. He watched his baby in silence. Nathaniel was so content there with the bottle. Clint hoped with all he had that he would be able to protect Nathaniel and his other children.

Nathaniel Pietro Barton. Clint was glad when Laura had agreed to put Pietro in the name. Clint wanted to name the baby after the reason he was alive to sit here with him. He was named after two of the bravest people Clint had known but he didn’t ever want Nathaniel to have their lives. He longed for normality for them. He longed for baseball matches, high school crushes and college stress, he longed for dead-end jobs and falling in love. 

Tears slipped from his eyes as he watched Nate slipping back into sleep after finishing the bottle. He couldn’t hold them back now but they made no sound. Hid body didn’t rock or shake, the tears just fell silently. Tears for a life he never had, tears for a young man who didn’t deserve to die, tears for a young woman who didn’t deserve to lose her twin.


End file.
